1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of producing fuel liquids and gases from a hydrocarbonaceous material such as coal by contacting the material with an iron group metal silicide, preferably cobalt and/or iron silicide. The present invention also relates to a method of reducing an iron oxide-containing ore employing carbon-coated sand, typically a carbon-coated hot sand, coal-reaction effluent. Additionally, the present invention relates to a method of providing a solid source of additional oxygen in the combustion of a carbonaceous fuel with an oxygen-containing gas which comprises effecting said combustion in the presence of an iron group metal silicate, preferably cobalt and/or iron silicate.
2. Prior Art
The problems incurred in conversion of hydrocarbonaceous materials, such as coal, which contains coal macromolecular oxygen and sulfur bridges are well known (see U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,244,615 and 3,282,826). The prior art includes processes for producing fuel liquids and gases from hydrocarbonaceous materials at elevated temperatures, by utilizing catalysts and/or inert conveying materials and by propelling coal particles downwardly through vertically stacked zones in reactor towers of various configurations (see U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,617,464; 3,779,893 and 3,985,548). However, the prior art has not heretofor appreciated that an iron group metal silicide could be employed to advantage in the aforementioned conversion of hydrocarbonaceous materials such as coal to fuel liquids and gases.
In the prior art, inert sand particles have been used as a heat exchange medium (see U.S. Pat. No. 3,585,023), as a diluent (see U.S. Pat. No. 2,835,557) and as a catalyst support in the reduction of metallic oxides with a reducing gas (see U.S. Pat. No. 2,953,450). However, the art has not heretofor used carbon-coated sand particles in the reduction of iron-oxide or other equivalent metallic oxides or appreciated the advantages which are derived from such use.